Tag: Nyesom Wike

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

The FCT Minister Barr. Nysome Wike has promised that contractors handling some resuscitated projects like the 10 kilometres Idu road and the new Railway project will deliver by May 2025.

Wike gave this assurance on Friday after inspection of 10 kilometres Idu and the connecting railway line at Gbagimba community.

The minister noted that although the projects were abandoned by the past administration, but inherited by his administration; he is convinced that will the level of ongoing works and the competence of the contractors, May 2025 is sure.
He said , “I’ve said this severally. I will not allow any contractor that does not seem to have the capacity to continue to do jobs for us. So for now, all of them are doing very well.”

He emphasized that the Apo and Idu roads handled by Salina Construction would be handed over by May.
However , the minister noted that the bridge is a serious work.
“What delayed it was the approval from the metro transportation to cross the red line. But now that approval has come, I think we believe that the more work will be done.”

According to the minister another cause of delay was the issue of compensation and resettlement of the communities that are involved.

… Wins Thisday/ Arise TV 2024 Minister of the Year Award

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

The FCT Minister, Barr. Nysome Wike has again assured residents of the nation’s capital of more infrastructural development in 2025.
Wike announced this when the Thisday Newspaper/ Arise Television honoured him with the 2024 Minister of the Year Award during a well attended ceremony in Lagos on Monday, 27th January 2025.

Wike told residents of the Federal Capital Territory, FCT, to expect even more infrastructural development in Abuja.
The 2024 Minister
awardee thanked President Bola Ahmed Tinubu for granting him the opportunity to serve.
He said,”I “want to thank Mr. President for giving us the opportunity. If the President did not give us the opportunity, we would not be here to contribute the little we have contributed.”

Likewise, Wike thanked the residents of the FCT saying “ l also want to thank all Nigerians particularly those who reside in Abuja, carrying on with their businesses.”

” I want to tell them that this year, 2025, will see more development and more infrastructure, and that is what is important for us.”
“We have no time for excuses, time for excuses are done. This is what the Renewed Hope Agenda is about”.

Speaking on the several unfair criticisms he had received from Arise TV and Thisday Newspaper, the Minister said that the award indicated that they were not biased in their selection.

The Minister for Information and National Orientation Alhaji Mohammed Idris, who presented the Award to the FCT Minister, described Barr. Wike as one of the very best who is not just a colleague in the cabinet but also someone who is very hardworking and a loyal friend.

“And you can see from the array of people who have joined him to receive this award today. Many former governors, many Senators, many, people, I cannot even count them, and I am honoured to be the one to present this award today, the Information Minister said.

Other nominees in the category of Minister of the Year award are Mr. Wale Edun, Hon Minister of Finance and the Coordinating Minister of the Economy, Barrister Festus Keyamo, Hon. Minister of Aviation and Aerospace Development, Mr. Tunji Olubunmi Ojo, Minister for Interior, and Professor Mohammed Ali Pate, Coordinating Minister of Health and Social Welfare.

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

The FCT Minister. Barr. Nyesom Wike on Thursday swore in Mr. Abudullahi Ango as the pioneer Youth Mandate Secretary of the newly created FCT Youth Secretariat and three Permanent Secretaries for the Capital Territory.

Wike used the occasion to charge Ango with the new responsibility to deliver and cater for the needs of the youths.

He said, ‘You are the Pioneer Mandate Secretary, you must use it to say while I was there as Pioneer Mandate Secretary, this was my program for the interest of the youths.”

” Mr. President has fulfilled his promise, it is for you now to work with us, to work with me and say these are the programs we think that will help the youths, and also help them reduce the effects of hardship that they are facing.”

“Sit down and work well through things that will help the youths of Abuja. That is key. If anything happens otherwise, you would be held responsible.”

The FCT Minister, however,
stated that the choice of Ango as the Youth Mandate Secretary was a collective decision after interface and discussions with youths in the six Area Councils, and not by sole decision by the president nor himself.

He said that things may be a little different, but he urged the youths to be patient with Mr. President who is working very hard to ensure he cushions the hardship people are facing.
Addressing the new permanent Secretaries, Wike also charged them to be alert to their responsibilities and be grateful to Mr. President who has provided the opportunity in the FCT.

“That is why we must always appreciate and thank Mr. President for breaking this hollow, which so many people have fought against but Mr. President stood firm and said “ours is to give hope to the hopeless and people are not stagnated in their careers”.

Wike enjoined the new Permanent Secretaries to be accountable for their offices.

“Everybody must know that you must give an account of every assignment given to you. As a permanent secretary in whatever Secretariat, while I was a permanent secretary in that Secretariat how far did that secretariat perform.”

“Ifyou know you do not have the capacity to work, it is better you resign now. At Least you would go with the title of former permanent secretary.”

“Of course anybody who knows me, knows too well that I’m not here to receive any excuses. There is no excuse in my dictionary. It does not exist. What I see is performance, performance, performance”, Wike stressed.

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike has invited the Polish Agriculture Investors to Abuja, as he says the territory is safe and free for businesses.

Wike extended this invitation no Tuesday when the Ambassador of Poland to Nigeria, Mrs. Joanna Tarnawska, visited his office in Abuja.

The minister told his visitors that there has been an improved and significant security in the city for everyone inclusive of foreigners for them to do their business without fear.

Wike said, “We are happy to make sure all the foreigners are free to carry out their businesses. Abuja is the capital, and you can see how safe it is. It is one of the lovely cities that everybody will want to visit.”

The minister, who stated that there is a cordial relationship between Nigeria and Poland as cordial, expressed the FCT Administration’s willingness to collaborate with Poland in developing its agriculture sector.

He explained that the partnership would enable the Administration to empower the teeming youths with employment opportunities in the agricultural sector.

According to the minister, job creation and security were among top priorities of President Bola Tinubu’s administration.

Wike said that Poland could arrange for some of its investors to set up large farms in Abuja that would employ the youths, and eventually own the farms in the future.

Earlier, the Polish Ambassador, Tarnawska, disclosed that she had been in Nigeria for over five years as Ambassador of Poland, adding that Nigeria is an interesting place to live in.

Tarnawska said that the visit was to assure the minister of the continued bilateral relationship developed many years ago.

She said that the discussion with the would continue to foster new avenues of cooperation for mutual benefits.

By Joyce Remi-Babayeju

The Federal Capital Territory, FCT, Minister, Barr. Nyesom Wike on Wednesday guaranteed residents that indiscriminate cattle roaming in the city center would soon end.

Wike gave the assurance in Abuja, when he received the Belgian Ambassador to Nigeria, His Excellency, Pieter Leenknegt.

Wike said that he had initiated multifaceted discussions with different relevant critical stakeholders on the need to end roaming of cattle in the city.

The minister also stated that fighting insecurity in FCT demands multifaceted approaches which the administration has already adopted to defeat criminalities.

According to the Minister, his administration has also intensified partnership drive with the private sector transportation players, to beef up security in the city.

Earlier in his remarks, the Belgium Ambassador, Leenknegt who had raised concerns over the roaming of cattle on the streets of Abuja, expressed satisfaction, learning that the Minister had initiated a fight against the menace.

Leenknegt also expressed interest in getting investors from his country to partner with FCTA in the development of the nation’s capital.